There are roughly 13 million Americans who suffer from urinary incontinence, and one in five individuals over the age of forty suffer from an overactive bladder or frequency symptoms, which results in involuntary leaking of urine. This condition affects people at any age but is more common among older adults.

Urinary incontinence can occur in people who have spinal conditions and other neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis. A weak bladder can cause urinary incontinence, so it is good idea to always exercise and choose an activity that lets you use your legs. Symptoms of a weak bladder could include less energy to do what you want throughout the day, inability to drink large quantities of water without running to the bathroom and, for senior men, a harder time getting an erection.

Urinary Incontinence takes several forms:

• Urge Incontinence: Seniors with urge incontinence experience involuntary contractions of their bladder that cause difficulties in stopping their urine.
• Stress Incontinence: Occurs when abdominal pressure overcomes the closing pressure of the bladder.
• Overflow incontinence is the rarest form of UI. This is caused by bladders that are unable to contract or have very weak contractions.
• Functional Incontinence comes next where seniors are unable to reach the bathroom in time. The individual cannot plan to go to the bathroom but they can still feel they have to control their urine.
• Mixed incontinence is a generic diagnosis that includes two or more types of incontinence.

New Treatment Recently Approved

Recently, the FDA has approved Botox as a treatment for urinary incontinence in people with neurological conditions like Multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury only. Botox is injected into the bladder to provide increase for storage capacity and decrease in incontinence. Injection is performed though the use of cystoscopy.  Cystoscopy is a medical procedure described here.

Botox was proven to be effective as a treatment for this condition in studies which involved 691 patients that had urinary incontinence that resulted from spinal cord injury. Patients have shown significant decreases in the frequency of incontinence in the Botox group vs. the placebo. Read more from The FDA News Release.  As always, be sure to consult with your primary care physician for medical advice related to your unique health conditions to determine the best treatment for your urinary incompetence.

Senior citizens, with their lifelong savings stacked up, as well as a habit of not checking free credit reports frequently, make for a perfect target for identity thieves nowadays. The federal government has
thereby requested senior citizens to stay alert against the prevalent medicare scams that may separate them from their hard-earned money in no time. Given below are the details of the three main medicare scams and how older Americans can avoid falling into their trap:

The Healthcare Reform Scams

As the spotlight of media switches to issues other than the healthcare reform, scammers are now sneaking out to take advantage of seniors’ under-awareness about the new legislation, with limited-time enrollment opportunity for “health care reform insurance policies.” These scammers usually request medicare numbers for gaining absolute protection from the reform. Some audacious thieves may even ask for bank account number for payment of the upfront fee. Be sure that you are not caught in the web of this bogus policy, for there is nothing called “healthcare reform insurance.”

The Poser Scams

Scammers sometimes pose as Medicare employees. They get in touch with you via email, call, or through a letter, asking you for your SSN, credit card number or bank account details. Know that no one from the Federal Government will ever ask you for your SSN, bank account number, or Medicare number. Anyone asking for this information while claiming to be a government’s representative is definitely a criminal. So, ignore any calls or letters that you may receive, asking for these details.

The Free Lunch Scams

Haven’t you ever heard – there is nothing like a “free lunch”? Some crooks, especially common in inner cities, are nowadays trying to lure senior citizens with a free gift or a free lunch and get them to fake medical clinics. At these clinics, these scammers try to get the medicare number from you for their medicare fraud endeavors. Turn these invitations down without question, for no government program offers you free lunches or free gifts to visit a medical clinic.

Apart from losing your lifelong savings, it will not take much time for these identity thieves to screw up your credit reports. So, be prudent in your dealings and know that world may not be as good as it seems.  To survive, you need to be shrewd and understand there are crooks scheming to get your money.  Trusted loved ones and financial counselors are good advisers for senior citizens who need protection to remain safe from scammers.

Alicia Lyttle is a financial consultant and a member of many financial communities.

Point, click, purchase—it’s pretty easy to purchase prescription drugs online through a Canadian pharmacy these days. And, thousands of seniors are doing just that—opting to buy their prescription medications from Canadian pharmacies where the most commonly prescribed drugs are 64% lower in Canada compared to in America.

Medicare Part D, the Prescription Drug Program, does not include Canadian Pharmacies.  Any Part D Plan must be located in the United States, but most plans have very high costs for brand-name medications, sometimes several hundred dollars for a 30-day supply.  Online pharmacies outside the United States can usually beat these prices.

There are various fully-licensed, online pharmacies from Canada, Mexico and even the U.S.  However, how can you tell the licensed pharmacies from those that aren’t pharmacies at all?

To help you protect your money and your health, we’ve put together a dos and don’ts checklist to help you decipher a legit pharmacy from a not-so-legit drug outfit when purchasing drugs online.

Do’s when buying prescription medication online:

• Do ask your doctor – Your health care professional is aware of your health issues, any other medications you might be taking, as well as your medical history. That’s why it’s vital to consult with your doctor before you buy a medication online. Your doctor can determine if a particular drug is safe for you to take or not.

• Do make purchases through fully-licensed pharmacies only – Just do a quick search with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to check whether an online pharmacy is licensed or not. You can also read reviews to find out if an online pharmacy is in good standing, and view state licensing information as well as pharmaceutical seals of approval, which are granted by the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS).

• Do consult with the site’s registered pharmacist –Many Canadian pharmacy sites offer a toll-free number so you can speak to a registered pharmacist. This is especially beneficial if you have any questions before filling your prescription or if you have concerns while you’re taking the medication.

• Do buy through secure sites only – Before using your credit card anywhere online, be sure that the site you’re buying through is secure. Alternately, use a secure payment transfer tool like PayPal to make purchases. This way your credit card number and other personal information are protected.

• Do check the following before taking your prescription:

1. Is the patient’s name printed correctly on the label?
2. Is the name of the medication correct?
3. Do the dosage, instructions and cautions match your prescription?
4. Is the packaging sealed?
5. Is the expiration date on the package?

Don’ts when buying prescription medication online:

• Don’t use a site that doesn’t request a prescription – You would have to wonder about a pharmacy that dispenses drugs without a valid prescription from your doctor. This is a violation of U.S. law! Only practicing physicians can safely and legally prescribe medication.
• Don’t use unsealed drugs or medication in altered packaging – If medication arrives in an unsealed or mislabeled package, you risk taking a drug that’s been tampered with and causing serious damage to your health.
• Don’t order drugs that haven’t been FDA approved – It’s not only illegal to import drugs into U.S borders if they don’t carry an Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  thumbs up, it’s also a great risk to your health and well-being.

So with these Do’s and Don’ts in mind, if your Medicare Part D plan requires high co-payments on some of your medications, talk with your doctor about purchasing your meds online at less cost.

Grateful thanks to Bernice Spradlin (BerniceG.Spradlin@gmail.com) for this article.

State Health Facts cites that as of 2009, the United States contains 15,658 nursing homes, and 10 percent of those over the age of 65 will spend some part of their lives in a nursing home.  Accordingly, there is a growing concern about nursing home abuse as the elderly are not always physically or emotionally able to report such injustices.

According to the National Center of Elder Abuse (NCEA), the following are common types of abuse nursing home residents risk falling victim to:

• Emotional Abuse is “defined as the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts.”  Brent Adams and Associates (BAA) states that emotional abuse accounts for 20 percent of reported abuse cases.

• Physical Abuse is “defined as the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment.”  BAA says that 16 percent of reported abuses are physical.

• Neglect is “defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elder.” BAA asserts that this form of abuse makes up 12 percent of reported abuses.

• Sexual Abuse is “defined as non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person.” BAA maintains that 3 percent of reported abuses are of a sexual nature.

Less common forms of abuse range from abandonment to financial exploitation to self-abuse.

Nearly 5 percent of nursing home aids have a criminal record and about one-in-three nursing homes nationally have been reported for abuse.  Given this, how does one recognize when a loved one has fallen victim to abuse?  In addition to providing citizens with common types of abuse, the NCEA teaches concerned citizens the signs of abuse.

Signs of Elder Abuse

Emotional abuse is the most common form of nursing home abuse.  Symptoms of it can mimic behavior usually found in those with dementia (e.g. rocking, biting, etc.) and can also be manifested through emotional agitation or extremely withdrawn behavior.

Physical abuse indications one should be aware of are physical signs, such as unusual bruises or lacerations that have been either treated or untreated; these can suggest unwarranted restraint or blatant physical assault.  Another indication of physical abuse that is not as easily detected is medication over-dosing or under-dosing; this type of abuse is usually identified through medical laboratory work. Additionally, one should become suspicious when a loved one’s behavior changes suddenly or when a caregiver does not allow visitors to see the resident alone.

Neglect is a form of abuse with a broad range of signs. One should regularly visit his/her loved one’s facility to ensure that feeding, hydrating, hygiene, health problems, and living conditions are matters being taken care of in a timely and sufficient fashion.

Sexual abuse, being a form of physical abuse, also has physical signs.  If one is suspicious that a loved one has fallen victim to sexual abuse, he/she should look for bruising or bleeding in private areas, as well as ripped or stained clothing.

Thinking about moving a loved one into a nursing home?  Member of the Family is a website devoted to providing citizens with information on thousands of U.S. facilities to help you find the best possible facility for your elderly loved one. Additionally, they keep up-to-date information on facilities cited for abuse so as to help you avoid putting your loved one in an incompetent facility.

Amy Shoemaker is a guest post and article writer bringing to us her thoughts on the dangers relating to nursing home abuse.  Additionally, Amy writes about this subject for www.nursinghomeabuse.net.

Although seniors have misconceptions about using a computer, these misunderstandings are often an important cause of fears and objections. Below we have listed a number of frequent misconceptions:

• You need to be technical to be able to use a computer

Not true. Senior citizens need to attend a good basic course or use a good self-instruction book. A lot of seniors who regularly send e-mails or surf the Internet have no technical knowledge whatsoever. By self-instruction or by attending a course they have learned the basics in how to use a computer.

• You need to know how to type well

Not true. Expressing a sentence is often more time-consuming than typing the sentence. It is very easy to correct a text you have written in an e-mail message, or a text editing program, such as Word. Besides, not many people will pay attention to typos when they are reading an e-mail message.

• Fear of Pressing the wrong key

Not true. Often, there are lots of security mechanisms in place, which will prevent you from carrying through any major changes without checking this first. For instance, if you accidentally delete a file, the computer will ask for confirmation. If you did not want to delete the file after all, you can click Cancel.

• You can get hooked on using the computer

Not true. For most people, the computer and the Internet are pleasant additions to their life.

• You will always attract viruses and spyware to your computer when you open a website or an e-mail message

Not true. Viruses and spyware are programs that can damage your computer, but using a virus scanner and a firewall program can considerably reduce the risk of viruses and spyware. As a computer user, you are responsible for the security of your computer. For example, you can often set a security level in your Internet browser, with regard to the Internet’s access to your computer. Is the sender of an e-mail message unknown and do you mistrust the message? Then do not open the message and delete it at once.

You can find additional information in the book Protect, Clean Up and Speed Up Your Computer for SENIORS. More information about Visual Steps books can be found at www.visualsteps.com.

Help for Seniors Learning to Use Computers

If you want to learn how to use a computer and the Internet, using a Visual Steps book as a guide is an excellent idea. Visual Steps Publishing develops practical and accessible computer handbooks, user guides and other instructional materials for the older person. They are dedicated to helping individuals over the age of 50 participate in the cyber-age.

The Visual Steps Concept is geared for the mature reader.  Some of the features include:

• Allows you to start right away learning in a friendly, fun, hands-on manner.
• Uses a larger print format that is easier on the eyes.
• Contains easy to understand, visually oriented, step by step instructions.
• Has an extensive use of screen shots and illustrations.
• Features practical, useful information, tips and helpful hints.
• Offers special help topics for do-it-yourself error correcting.
• Includes follow-up exercises to reinforce your new skills and increase your confidence.
• Offers an extensive index.

The Visual Steps books are available in bookstores across the fifty states and through online retailers. If a particular title is not available at your local book store, ask to have them place an order for you.

Grateful thanks to Visual Steps for authoring this post.

At one time or another, most of us have experienced or heard about computers doing funny things. Some seniors especially can become very anxious when they contemplate using computers and fear they do not have the knowledge or ability to do so.

Lack of computer experience is one of the most obvious reasons for this anxiety. We didn’t grow up with computers and learning new technology at our ages can be a challenge.

Using a computer and the Internet requires a certain amount of practice and perseverance.  As you acquire more and more knowledge of computers along the way, you will automatically discover how useful using a computer can be in daily life. If you have a desire to learn to use the computer, you need to know help is available.

The Visual Steps books offer a lot of support for learning how to use a computer and surfing the Internet. These books are written according to the Visual Steps method. An important characteristic of this method is the way in which you receive step-by-step instructions, accompanied by visual aids by means of numerous screenshots of all the operations. In this way, you will exactly see where to click at each step, and you will also see the results of your actions.

At the www.visualsteps.com/lookinside web page you can take a look inside a Visual Steps book. This will give you an impression of the special method used. If you are not experienced enough using the Internet, you can ask a more experienced computer user, for instance a family member, to help you view the web page.

Misconceptions about the computer and the Internet

Although there are many misconceptions about using a computer, these misunderstandings are often an important cause of fears and objections.  It is important to understand what the misconceptions are so they can be dispelled.  The next post here will talk about what causes fears of computers for senior citizens, and what you can do about your fears to overcome them.  Check back soon for Part 2!

Grateful thanks to Visual Steps for authoring this post.

Sometimes we come across an article so good that we want to post the original.  This one appeared on BloggingAuthors.com, and the Editor, Irene Watson (Reader Views), gave permission for SCJ to re-post it here.  Thanks, Irene!

What Colby says in this article applies to everyone, including senior citizens who are SCJ’s primary audience, not just youth.  Read this one carefully, then go back and read it again.  Colby uses very clear language to describe what is required of us in the midst of emotionally difficult situations, both short-term and long-term.

Youth Futures: Emotional Resilience

Guest Post by  J. Z. Colby

One of the most powerful tools for dealing with a changing world is the ability to keep our heads (rational minds) in control, even when our hearts (emotions) would rather be.  This is also called Emotional Intelligence, but there is an even older and simpler term: Maturity.  If your emotions are always in control, you are a child, no matter how old you are.

This does not mean NOT feeling.  Our emotions are very important when we need to sense things about our environment, make judgments about people and situations, and form bonds (or run from them).

What it does mean is FEELING the feelings, not ACTING on them.  That’s the key.  If you feel something and act on it without thought, you are a slave to your emotions.  Slaves are seldom treated well by other people or events.

But if you FEEL the feelings, then DECIDE what to do with a clear head, you have the best chance of staying alive, and maybe even being happy.

Yeah, I know.  Easier said than done.

Have you taken a Myers-Briggs personality test?  For NEBADOR readers, there’s a simple one in Book One, chapter 15, and the Deep Learning Notes explains it.  There are also tests all over the internet you can use.  It’s not a “right-wrong” kind of test, but instead it just figures out which of 16 personality types you are.

Those of you who have a “J” as the last letter in their type are in most danger of acting on feelings.  “xxFJ” types do this routinely, but “xxTJ” types can also do it when things get stressful.  That doesn’t mean these types are bad, it just means they are better adapted to stable social situations.  If you pay attention to the main characters in books and movies, they are almost always “xxFJ” types because we love their spontaneity and courage.

Back to Emotional Resilience.  Once you clearly understand the idea of keeping your mind in control even when feeling, and you decide you want to do that, the next step is to practice.  It’s the kind of thing that you can’t really practice at times and places you choose, but instead just have to wait for emotional situations to pop up in life, do your best, and look back to see how you did after it’s over.

There are a few rules that can help.

Never do anything dangerous, if it can be avoided, when feeling deeply, even if you think your mind is in control.  If nothing else, your reaction time will be slowed.  Good pilots never fly aircraft when feeling emotional.  Remember: driving is a kind of piloting.

Never make big, important decisions, if they can be avoided, when feeling deeply.  Your rational mind, even if in control, is not operating on “all cylinders.”  Save decisions about education, employment, marriage, etc., for when you are clear-headed.

If everything is basically okay in your world (parent has a job, food in the kitchen, etc.) it may be hard to see how important this stuff is.  But the world is changing rapidly, and many young adults may soon find themselves dealing with difficult, sometimes dangerous situations. (Editor’s Note: Senior citizens may have an especially difficult time dealing with the rapidly changing world, since we have a tendency to become ‘set in our ways’ as we age.  Colby’s words are especially important to us because of our age.)   You might have a parent, friend, or boy/girlfriend at your side to help, or you might be alone.  Even if someone is beside you, you might discover that THEY are consumed with emotions, and YOU will have to think clearly, if anyone is going to.

J. Z. Colby is the author of the Nebador series, young-adult science fiction stories filled with wit-sharpening and skill-honing challenges, mental, emotional, and spiritual, for 21st century youth: www.nebador.com

Born in the Mojave Desert, J. Z. Colby now lives and writes deep in a forest of the Pacific Northwest.  He has studied many subjects, formally and informally, including psychology, philosophy, education, and performing arts, but remains a generalist.  His primary profession as a mental health counselor, specializing with families and young adults, gives him many stories of personal growth, and the motivation to develop his team of young critiquers and readers.  All his life, he has been drawn toward a broad understanding of human nature, especially those physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual situations in which our capacity to function seems to reach its limits.  He finds fascinating those few individuals who can transcend the limits of our common human nature and the dictates of our cultures.  In his spare time, he flies helicopters and airplanes.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, be sure to comment so we can address them!

SCJ Editors,

Dr Jerry D Elrod, Senior Moments

Dr Sharon Shaw Elrod, CEO and Senior Editor

“I can’t remember when my grampa got old, but he did, and then he got sick. I didn’t know what kind of sick, but I figured it must be pretty bad because, if I was around when Mom, Dad and Grandma were talking about it, they always whispered. Adults know an awful lot; they’re really smart… but we kids can hear a lot better than they think we can!

The word that seemed to come up an awful lot was cancer.  I didn’t know what that was, but it didn’t sound very good. There was also a lot of talk about how much time he had… time for doing what I wondered?

I heard Grandma tell Mom one day, she didn’t know what she’d do without him. I remember thinking to myself, “Why, is he going somewhere? If so, why doesn’t she go with him like she always does?  They never go anywhere without each other.”

When he got old, Grampa started wearing out… he couldn’t play as long as he used to, kept saying he needed to rest… and then would fall asleep, right in the middle of the day!

He seemed to get littler and slower every time I went to visit him, and I could tell he didn’t feel good. But whenever I crawled up on his lap and smiled at him, he always patted me on the head, smiled back and said, “How’s it going, Sport?”

He got sicker and sicker, and then had to go to the hospital for a while. But, I guess they couldn’t fix him or make him better…so Mom and Dad and Grandma decided (more whispering) he had to go somewhere called hospice. It sounds kind of like hospital, only it’s not… but whenever we went to visit him there, it sure smelled like a hospital.

One day I asked Mom to tell me the difference between a hospital and a hospice. She said, “A hospital is somewhere you go to get better… hospice is somewhere you go to get ready.” When I asked her, ready for what, she said “Ready to meet God.” I told her I thought that was what church was for, and she said this was a little different. Things sure are confusing sometimes.

A few weeks passed and one day she came in and told me Grampa’s time was short. I asked if he was coming home. “Well, kind of, Sweetie” she said. “But he’s not coming home, he’s going home.” She explained that he wasn’t going to get well and it was time for him to go be with Jesus… it was time for him to die. I could tell she was sad… me too, and I wasn’t sure what to say. So, I just said, “I’m sure going to miss him Mommy, but he told me before he went to that hospice place, that he was looking forward to the time when he wouldn’t have to be so tired and sick anymore.  Is that what it will be like with Jesus?” She didn’t say anything, she just looked the other way and nodded… I think she had something in her eye. I said, “Well that makes me pretty happy!” She smiled and said, “Me too Honey” and gave me a really big hug… and she didn’t let go for a long time.

Hospice… I know somebody who went there…

Then he went home.”

Dave then offers this prayer/meditation for those of us struggling with death and dying and losing loved ones:

Lord, grant us the wisdom to find the right words, That might calm an anguished soul.  In comforting moments…your compassion assured that broken hearts, might again, become whole.   Words that don’t make attempts to explain… Or offer empty cliché’s.  Perhaps rather than words… to just simply remain at their side, hold their hand, help them pray.  Sometimes silence is the best way to speak… our quiet presence to help ease their grief.  Though our words may not bring the solace they seek, in God’s whisper…all find relief. Amen

This post struck us at SCJ because of the current fight over Medicare.  What would the Grampas of the country do for hospice care if our Medicare program goes away?  When the elderly become sick and need care, we depend on Medicare to help us get the care we need, including hospice at the end of life… just one more reason why legislators need to keep their hands off our Medicare health insurance program.